Umbrella



M y 1950 F. J. MAZZEO 2,507,919

UMBRELLA Filed March 25, 1948 60 INVENTOR. 79 78 @Mi FRANK J. MAZZfO.

ATTORNE K Patented May 16, 1950 UN I T ED S TA TEN 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of umbrellas, and more particularly, to umbrellas carrying an electric light at. the extreme top endlof the-shaft.

Everyone is familiar with the difiiculties of walking on adark night inablinding storm, while using an umbrella, and the danger of colliding with other persons or vehicles. Such collisions may cause serious damage and/or. bodily harm to those concerned without any fault of their own, which may sometimes be prevented by employing signalling means. The thought, however, of using signalling means, such as a light attached to the umbrella, is not new. But structural difliculties have made its general. use impractical. It has also been found difiicult to open or close the umbrella when using the latter on a stormy rainy night, since the sleeve and lock spring provided on present day umbrellas are not designed to permit a ready gripping of the umbrella when about to be used.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide an umbrella with eflicient and practical signalling means at the top of the shaft which signalling means may be either flashed or used asa continuous light.

It is another object of this invention to provide an umbrella with a signalling means, such as alight bulb at the end-of :a hollow shaft, in which shaft conductors for the activation 'of the light are carried. I

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an umbrella with signalling means located at a conspicuous part of the umbrella, certain parts of the umbrella being designed in a manner that will prevent corrosion of essential parts or short circuits.

A still further object of this invention resides in providing facile means for opening and closing the umbrella.

Another object of this invention is to provide a switch at a convenient part of the umbrella handle, whereby the user can either cause a flashing or a steady glow of the light to warn any oncoming persons or vehicles.

These and many other objects are accomplished by the novel and practical construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter disclosed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, constituting an essential part of the disclosure, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an umbrella incorporating the invention, with parts broken away and part of the cloth covering shown in dash-dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view of the sleeve in its lower locked position.

Fig.3 is a right-hand view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4,. is a partial-sectional view ofithe lamp tip of the umbrella shaft.

Fig. 5 .is a diagrammatic viewof .theswi-tch in inoperative position.

Fig. 6 is a similar view to:Fig.,5, withithe switch: shown in steady. glow eposition.

Fig. 7. is. a .top plan .view of the; insulating thimble used in the. handle ,of, the umbrella.

The umbrella l5 consists of..the canopy-portion |6,,the light. tip: H, the hollow shaft [Band the handle [9. Ribsflt .areconventional: with this as with.any-other umbrella. The lower ends 2| ofthe ribs 29, fit; into theconventional cutouts-22 in which they are held in conventional manner by a wire, 23. Thecutouts 22 are formed ina ring 24, which is, apart of the sleeve 25. :The

novelty in this sleeve resides intheupper. and lowerfiared portions 26..and.,,21. The channel like portion 28 thus formed will readily adapt itself to the positioning ofthe; fingers of a hand usedwhen opening theumbrella. A. slot .29 extends intofiared portions 26, 2'! from a;point 39 (close to .thetop)tdowntorpointfil close. to the bottom. The upperedge 32; of.the-.-s1ot.29 .will contact the surface 33 of the upper; lock; spring 34, when insopen position, while thelower edge 35 of the slot 29 will contact thezsurface36- of the. lower: lock spring3'! when closed position.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the lower lock spring 31 consists of a spring wire 38, one end of which enters the shaft l8 through the opening 39. This end of the wire 38 may be bent as at 40 or otherwise secured. It is understood that the Wire 38 enters the opening 39 as a press fit, thus avoiding moisture or water from entering the hollow portion 4| of the shaft IS. The lower portion 42 of the wire 38 ends in an enlarged knob 43, which is contained within a housing 44. This housing 44 is press-fitted into the shaft l8 with preferably a small head and shoulder 45 on the outside. A spring 46 pressing against knob 43 will keep the spring lock 3'! in its extended position. The upper spring lock 34 is similar in construction and operation, only being reversed in its location in regard to the lower spring lock 31. A stop pin 41 is provided to prevent the canopy from opening further than desired or from moving up high enough to turn inside out.

Referring to Fig. 4, a lamp 48 is secured in a socket 49. An insulating disc 50 retains the socket 49. The disc 50 preferably rests on a shoulder 5| formed in the sleeve 52. At 53 the sleeve 52 is threaded to engage the thread 54 of the shaft IS. The threads 55 engage the threads 56 of the lamp housing 51. Two electrical conductors 58 and 59 lead to and from the lamp 48. The electrical conductor 58 may be secured to the upper side of the contact point 60 of the insulating thimble 6|. The lower side of the contact point 60 contacts in conventional manner the contact pole 62 of the upper dry cell battery 53. The conductor 59 is secured to post 64 of the switch 65 and the circuit continues from the switch 65 through the post 66 down through conductor 61 to a contact 68 which electrically contacts the outer surface of the lower dry cell 63. The switch 65 comprises a housing 69, hav ing one round opening and a slotted opening "H. The round opening 10 contains the flash switch 12, while a knob 73 slides in the opening H. A spring contact member 14 is shown as secured to the post 65. This spring contact member 74 is normally in the position shown in Fig. 5. Should the knob 12 be pressed down against the contact point 75 a flash of light will result as long as the knob 12 is held down by the finger of the user. However, if a permanent lighting of the lamp 48 i desired, and with complete freedom of the hand, the knob 13 is pushed into the position shown in Fig. 6. A recess 16 will thus be made to engage a projection 77 in the contact member 14 and thus hold the latter in this position until released by pushing back the member 14 into the original position shown in Fig. 5. The flanges 8| and 82 act as stops for the respective buttons 12, 13 to limit their outward movement. A screw 78 with a spring 19 holds the dry cells 63 in their contacting position within the hollow space of the handle 19. The handle l9 may be made of metal or plastic material. If made of metal as well as shaft [8 then one of the conductors 58, 59 may be shortened, using the shaft and handle as conducting means for the electrical circuit.

The lighting of the umbrella tip will thus be accomplished very readily, either in the form of flashes or as permanent light. It is understood, that the bulb will work, either with the umbrella in its open or closed position. On a dark country road, for example, the closed umbrella, pointing downward, can be used to illuminate the path a person is travelling.

Having thus fully explained the invention in its preferred form, and with the possibility of modifications within the scope of this invention, What is claimed to be new and useful, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In combination with a hollow tubular umbrella shaft, a sleeve member slidable on said shaft including a cylindrical center portion and outwardly flared opposite end portions facilitating gripping the member therebetween, the ribs of the conventional canopy of the umbrella being pivotally connected to said sleeve member whereby reciprocal sliding movement of the latter on the shaft will cause opening and closing of the canopy, a longitudinal slot formed in the cylindrical center portion of said sleeve member and terminating Within said flared end portions, spring operable means projecting from said shaft at its upper and lower portions and adapted to respectively project through said slot when said sleeve member is moved to predetermined positions on said shaft, said means including a resilient, angularly bent wire having a linear portion extending at an acute angle to said shaft, the innermost end of said wire being anchored to said shaft, an opening formed in said shaft, an inwardly bent portion on the other end of said wire extending slidably into said opening, and spring means in said shaft abutting against said inwardly bent portion for constantly urging said linear portion outwardly.

FRANK J. MAZZEO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 196,586 Knapp Oct. 30, 1877 218,243 Drown, Jr Aug. 5, 1879 449,716 Thonp Apr. '7, 1891 1,166,272 Smithing Dec. 28, 1916 1,228,810 Neu June 5, 1917 1,274,305 Miller July 30, 1918 1,795,268 Thomases Mar. 3, 1931 2,136,569 Trimpi Nov. 15, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,309 Great Britain June 5, 1889 

